“It is a pleasure to meet you, Lord Luka of House Noctear.”
His voice was calm and resonant.
The young man with light blue hair gave a polite, practiced bow.
“I am Caiel Valdio, the second son of House Valdio.”
“Ah, hello.”
When I gave a brief, casual response, he glanced at Elicia for only a fraction of a second.
It was truly just a flash, but his gaze was devoid of both hesitation and calculation.
“...”
As if understanding the meaning behind that look, I offered a small smile.
“I happened to spot you at the Academy and thought I would offer my greetings,” he said.
“You went out of your way just for that?”
“Yes.”
The man’s smile never wavered.
Elicia offered a quiet, formal nod. “Thank you for your courtesy, Lord Caiel.”
“Not at all. I am simply glad to see you are doing well.”
I couldn't help but feel that Caiel’s voice was just a touch softer than when he had spoken to me. Whether we were acquaintances or not didn't matter; I recognized that look in his eyes.
Ah, I’ve got it now.
He was head over heels. The love was practically leaking out of him, Caiel-kun.
“Lord Luka,” Caiel said, turning his attention back to me. “So you are the rumored youngest brother of House Noctear.”
“I’m not sure I’d call myself ‘rumored’...”
“No.” He let out a soft, amused breath. “...You are far more relaxed than I expected.”
That sounded like genuine admiration. Though, to be fair, I was never particularly good at reading people's emotions.
“The Academy holds various examinations,” he continued.
“I see.”
“There will likely be many occasions for us to compete.”
His words remained gentle, yet his gaze was piercing right through me.
“When those times come—I ask for a fair and square contest.”
Oh, I’ll give you a contest, all right. I’ll show you my back as I sprint away in the opposite direction.
Time to escape from reality, I thought with a strained smile. This was a total declaration of rivalry, wasn't it?
“Right, well... if that time comes,” I replied vaguely.
Caiel smiled as if satisfied.
Immediately after, Elicia looked at me. It was just for a moment, but she gave me a soft look that she didn't seem to direct at anyone else.
“We have the same afternoon class, don’t we?” she asked.
“Wait, we do?”
“Yes.”
I wondered how she already knew my class schedule. By the way, the system here felt a bit like a university—students chose their own classes to earn credits. I had just picked mine at random.
My eyes didn’t miss the way Caiel’s smile vanished for a split second.
...Ah, right. I see how it is.
“Well then, if you will excuse me.”
Caiel bowed and took his leave. Sorry, man, it’s not like I actually did anything. His back was perfectly straight as he walked away. He looked like he had a lot on his mind, but surely he didn't hate me, right?
“Hey, Elicia. What’s the deal with Caiel?”
“...Are you curious about him?”
“Eh? Well, yeah.”
“...I see.”
Yes, I was! Who was that guy?!
“To put it simply, his family, the House of Marquis Valdio, is a branch of my own, House Gladio.”
“I see.”
“Because of that connection, we were made to meet for various reasons since we were small, but that is the extent of it.”
“Uh-huh, uh-huh.”
A branch family, huh? I didn’t understand the specifics of noble politics perfectly, but they were essentially like relatives.
I wasn't trying to pull rank or anything, but you didn't often see a Marquis getting between a Duke’s son and a Duke’s daughter. It made sense that they had a main-house-to-branch-house relationship. Personally, I couldn't imagine doing that; I’d be crushed by the social pressure of the lineages alone.
“...I am sorry, did I offend you?” Elicia asked tentatively.
“Eh? No, not at all! Why would you think that?”
“W-Well, because Lord Caiel intruded upon us like that...”
Intruded? He wasn't some roaming monster invading a map.
“I don’t really mind. He seemed like a decent guy, and I’m glad we got to talk.”
“...Strictly speaking, that situation required more social consideration. I will have a word with him later.”
“...You really don’t have to.”
“I must.”
Elicia was being surprisingly strict. Was this the norm for high-ranking nobles?
As we spoke, it seemed quite a bit of time had passed. Elicia’s attendant approached and spoke to her, prompting Elicia to rise from her seat.
“It seems it is almost time. I have preparations to make, so let us meet again in class.”
She bowed, gave me a bright smile, and left the Dining Hall with her attendant.
Hmph. Now then, it was time for my solo challenge: eating every single item on the menu!
“...Lord Luka.”
“Gah! Yuka, you were there?!”
“Yes, I have been here the entire time.”
...Well, I suppose that made sense, considering we arrived together.
“Sorry. You had completely blended into the background.”
“Yes, because I must not interfere with your social life.”
“You know, it’s okay for you to join the conversation too, Yuka.”
“I am your attendant, Lord Luka.”
That didn't really answer the question. This girl had a terrifying talent for assassination.
“Have you already eaten, Yuka?”
“Lord Luka, let us prepare for class.”
“But this stuff is really delicious, isn't it?” I said, trying to stand my ground.
“Lord Luka.”
“Fine, fine.”
Dammit, I was so focused on the conversation that I barely got to eat!
The afternoon class.
When I entered the classroom, several people were already in their seats.
“Let’s see...”
Alright, let's go with that one. A window seat in the center row. When it came to unassigned seating, you had to be bold. I considered it a victory that I didn't just slink into the very back row.
Wait, give me back the joy of having a permanent seat in my home classroom! Were classes seriously separate from the homeroom assignments?! I’d heard that general exams were held in the home classrooms, which meant that my "strongest seat" wouldn't apply anywhere else.
I wished Allen were in this class so he could sit next to me.
Just as I pulled out the chair and sat down, a voice spoke from beside me.
“...Lord Luka.”
I turned my head. Sitting there was—
“Elicia?”
“Yes.”
She sat there as if nothing were out of the ordinary. Her posture was as elegant as ever, her gaze fixed forward.
...Yeah, she had naturally become my neighbor.
“It is a coincidence that we share this class,” she said.
“You mentioned that earlier.”
Elicia gave a small nod. “Is it alright if I sit in the neighboring seat?”
Don’t ask that after you’ve already claimed it. Though, for the record, it was totally okay. In fact, let's just make this our fixed arrangement from now on.
Of course, I couldn't actually say that. While I was momentarily at a loss for words, the chair on my other side was pulled out.
“Excuse me.”
I blinked. Sitting there was the young man with light blue hair.
“We meet again, Lord Luka.” He gave me a gentle smile. He directed his gaze toward Elicia for an instant before looking back at me.
“Another coincidence?” I asked.
“Yes, a coincidence.”
...Liar. You definitely timed this to match Elicia. It was all well and good for the branch and main houses to be close, but please don't sandwich me in the middle.
Elicia didn't say a word. However, her elbow shifted just a tiny bit closer to my arm. Was it my imagination? No, definitely not. I could have even leaned into it myself if I wanted to... just kidding.
“...”
I just had to pray that Caiel didn't grow to loathe me.
“I hear this class is quite popular,” Caiel noted.
“Is that so?”
“Yes. I heard the enrollment filled up immediately.”
I see. Did that mean some poor soul got bumped because I picked this class at random? I stared straight ahead, muttering apologies in my head.
Seriously, though, stop flanking me. Elicia’s quiet presence on one side and Caiel’s focused gaze on the other were making things incredibly awkward. My arbitrary "rival" label for Caiel was starting to feel more real by the second, even though I wasn't even engaged to Elicia.
Just then, the teacher took the podium.
“Now then, let us begin the lesson.”
Saved.
...Or so I thought, but now the real battle against drowsiness was beginning.
“...Lord Luka,” Elicia whispered.
“Hmm?”
“May I ask you a question later?”
“Me?”
Elicia smiled quietly. “Yes. You, Lord Luka.”
Immediately after, Caiel chimed in. “What a coincidence. I also have something I wish to ask Lord Luka.”
...Excuse me.
Class has already started, you know? And if you want to ask about the coursework, you have made a colossal error in judgment regarding who to ask.
Keeping my eyes forward, I took a deep breath.
Was this really what academy life was like?
And so, for some reason sandwiched between a beautiful girl and a handsome boy, my afternoon class began.